Na Na Curry 南南咖哩 (Bukit Merah View Food Centre)

Curry Chicken $3.50

I have never heard of Na Na Curry 南南咖哩  till made its way into the list in the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2016. Fast forward to 2 years later, it has continued to make its way into the list in 2017 and 2018.

Na Na Curry has been around since 1989 and opened its first outlet is at Marina South. This is the reason why the stall at Bukit Merah View has the words “Marina South” on its signage. The owner learned the curry recipe from his grandmother as it was a dish which was well loved by family and friends. 

Menu

Na Na Curry is unique in several ways. Firstly, it is one of its kind that specialises in just selling Chinese curry. Normally, such curry stalls are those curry rice stall that sells other food items. But Na Na Curry’s version is purely curry with white rice or bread. Secondly, it sells a unique range of curry items. Curry Fish Head, Curry Fish Meat, Curry Chicken, Curry Vegetables and Curry Mutton are common. But Curry Pork Ribs is totally new to me! Thirdly, it has a manufacturing arm to pre-packs curry paste for its outlets.

I have been to the stall several times to try a different curry each time. Before I continue, I must warn that the curry is not for the fainted hearted. It is very very spicy, but yet addictive. You are bounded to have a fiery ass after the meal (if you know what I mean. Haha).

Curry Pork Ribs $4 (top up $0.50 for rice)

I had reservations trying the Curry Pork Ribs $4 (top up $0.50 for rice) as I was wondering whether the meat would be tough and if I would need to use my hands or even stain my shirt if I was to use the utensils to pull out the meat. But wow, I was impressed. The pork ribs were so folk tender. The pork meat came off the rib bones so easily. Taste wise, the meat was not tough. The curry was fragrance and spicy.

Curry Fish Meat $5.50 (top up $0.50 for rice)

Curry Fish Meat $5.50 (top up $0.50 for rice)

The Curry Fish Meat $5.50 (top up $0.50 for rice) came with lady fingers and tomato. The curry taste just slightly less spicy probably because of the addition of the tomato and fish meat. What was impressive was the fish meat. It was cooked just right with its flavour intact. The sweetness and freshness of the fish left a lasting impression

Curry Chicken $3.5 (top up $0.50 for rice)

The Curry Chicken $3.5 (top up $0.50 for rice) came with 2 pieces of potatoes. The potatoes were cooked perfectly. They were firm yet soft when a spoon was used to cut it into small pieces. As for the chicken meat, they came off the bones so easily. The curry again was spicy yet fragrance.

The curry was so good that I could pair it with just plain rice even if no meat was given. It was so good that on one occasion, I had 2 plates of rice with it.

Curry Mutton $4 (top up $0.50 for rice)

The Curry Mutton $4 (top up $0.50 for rice) also came with potatoes. Interestingly, there was no gamey (or mutton) taste in the curry. Also, the mutton meat was so tender that I could cut the meat into smaller pieces using just the spoon!

Over the visits, I realised that the stall owner was able to cook the items (e.g. fish meat, chicken meat, potato, lady lady fingers) so perfectly because once the items were cooked, the items would be taken out. This prevents overcooking. Sounds like a no brainer right? But not everyone bothers to do these little things that matters.

If you are visiting for the first time, I would suggest that you try the Curry Pork Ribs which is not commonly available elsewhere.

Na Na Curry 南南咖哩 (Bukit Merah View Food Centre)

#01-47 Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre

115 Bukit Merah View

Singapore 151115

Tel: 9106 4316

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 11am – 7pm

                          Closed on Sun

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Cai Chuan Tou Mutton Soup 柴船头羊肉汤 (Bukit Merah View Food Centre)

Mutton Mixed Bowl

I have heard about this mutton soup stall for some time, but have not given a thought to give it a try. This is because of its location, short operating hours and the perpetual long queue at the stall. It was only after it got the Michelin Bib Gourmand award that I decided to give it a try.

I went at 12.30pm on a weekday and brave the queue with slightly more than 20 persons in front of me. Surprisingly, I queued for just 25 minutes as the service, including ordering, cooking and cutting the parts, was quick.

Menu

Using tongs instead of hand as it is hot

Cai Chuan Tou Mutton Soup as its name suggests specialises in mutton soup. They sell a whole range of mutton meat/parts ranging from meat, ribs, meatballs, tendon, stomach to even the most exotic part, the brain! Since I did not know what to order, wanted to try as many variety as I could without feeling brave enough to try the brains, I decided to go for the Mutton Mixed Bowl.

Mutton Mixed Bowl

Mutton Mixed Bowl

The Mutton Mixed Bowl consisted of meat, meatballs and stomach. The Mutton Soup was lightly flavoured and had a very very mild herbal taste. Interestingly, despite the mild flavours, there was no pungent gamey taste of mutton in the soup. As for the mutton meat, it was tender. In fact, I noticed that mutton ribs were also given and for the ribs, their meat were practically folk tender! As for the mutton meatballs and stomach, there was nothing much to shout about as I felt that there was not much taste in the meat. In fact, everything tasted so light and was so mildly flavoured. This is coming from a guy who does not like salty food or extremely sweet stuff.

If you are keen to try this, be there early as I heard that they can close as early as 1.30pm when they sell out all the parts.

(Read with a pinch of salt or two) Personally, I do not understand the hype and why the stall has gotten the Michelin Bib Gourmand award while others have not. The unique selling point I felt was more towards price. It is so cheap!  Mutton dishes are typically more expensive elsewhere. For mutton soup, I prefer Ivy's Hainanese Herbal MuttonSoup version.

Cai Chuan Tou Mutton Soup 柴船头羊肉汤 (Bukit Merah View Food Centre)

#01-51 Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre

115 Bukit Merah View

Singapore 151115

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 11am – 2.30pm

                          Closed on Sun



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Day Night Fried Kway Teow 日夜炒粿條 (Bukit Merah Central Food Centre)

Fried Kway Teow $4

Fried Kway Teow is a popular local dish which most Singaporeans can resonate with. Despite the fact that this dish comes along with unhealthy calories, we all love it and indulge it frequent! 

There are two fried kway teow stalls in Bukit Merah Central Food Centre. Day Night Fried Kway Teow 日夜炒粿條 is the more popular one judging from the queue. Despite the queue at this stall, the turn over is fast. 

These days, it is a common practice for hawkers to divide and literally count the number of ingredients given. I would have preferred for the Chinese sausage (lap Cheong) to be fried together with the ingredients to extract its fats and flavour into the noodles. 

Fried Kway Teow $4

This plate of Fried Kway Teow $4 was delicious. It was fragrant and flavourful with a good balance of sweet and savoury. It would have been perfect if wok-hei was infused in it. The small pieces of crisp pork lard at the side provided even more flavour with each bite.

Day Night Fried Kway Teow 日夜炒粿條 (Bukit Merah Central Food Centre)

#02-41 Bukit Merah Central Market & Food Centre

163 Bukit Merah Central

Singapore 150163
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 4pm
                          Closed on Thu

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Lan Xiang Handmade Noodles 兰香面粉粿•板面 (Bukit Merah Central Food Centre)

You Mian $3.50

If you have followed FoodieFC posts on Facebook or Instagram, you would have noticed that I eat Handmade Noodles (followed by Bak Chor Mee) frequently. Whenever you go, whether it is hawker centre or a food court, you will always find at least one stall selling Handmade noodles. In most case, it is cheap, tasty and healthy (unless the soup is laden with MSG and you finish it) dish.

I am glad I found another handmade noodles stall in Bukit Merah area that suits my taste. It is Lan Xiang Handmade Noodles 兰香面粉粿•板面 which is located at Bukit Merah Central Food Centre. The lunch time queue at this stall would be the best proof to this. There would always be a queue of at least 5 to 10 persons long.

You would not need to worry about long waiting time as the two person team is well-oiled. The lady would go down the line, taking orders, taking out the noodles and collecting the payment. The man would cook the noodles juggling several stove at one time. You should be able to savour the noodles within 10 minutes after ordering.

You Mian $3.50

What makes this stall stands out among the rest is their noodles. It is not a secret and obvious that some handmade noodles stalls order their noodles from factories.

Lan Xiang Handmade Noodles makes the handmade noodles themselves.Their noodles are of a thicker size compared to those that I have ate elsewhere.

Prawn You Mian $5

I have tried both You Mian $3.50 and Prawn You Mian $5. The you mian was springy, soft and flavourful. As for the soup, it was clear, robust, sweet and more importantly, it was not salty! Moreover, the minced meat was well flavoured and marinated! A very satisfying bowl of handmade noodles.

Tom Yam You Mian $4.50

Although they also sell Tom Yam handmade noodles, most people order the normal version of handmade noodles.

Lan Xiang Handmade Noodles 兰香面粉粿•板面 (Bukit Merah Central Food Centre)

#02-06 Bukit Merah Central Market & Food Centre

163 Bukit Merah Central

Singapore 150163

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11am - 8pm, Sat to Sun 11am - 3pm

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Lim Soup (Bukit Merah Central)

Old Cucumber Pork Ribs Soup $4.50

We arrived at Lim Soup in Dong Fong Fatt Coffee Shop at 6pm on a Friday evening. Lim Soup specialises in serving healthy yet tasty soups.

The main purpose of our visit was to try its Double Boiled Old Coconut Chicken. However, we were told that the soup was sold out. In the end, I went over to the next stall to try the dry Minced Pork You Mian which was excellent! On the other hand, the partner ordered Old Cucumber Pork Ribs Soup $4.50 (which was one of the few soup left) and Organic Brown Rice $0.80.

Organic Brown Rice $0.80

The Organic Brown Rice which cost $0.80 comes with a generous helping of stir-fried cabbage topped with fried whitebait (silver fish). The brown rice was a tad too hard and dry.

Old Cucumber Pork Ribs Soup $4.50

The Old Cucumber Pork Ribs Soup $4.50 consists of ingredients such as old cucumber, almond seeds, red dates, Chinese wolfberries and pork ribs. The soup was such a disappointment. The soup was so sweet that it overwhelmed other flavours. I have never drank such sweet old cucumber soup before. In additional, the old cucumber seems to be layered (i.e. thinner). The only positive aspect was that the pork rib was tender. Needless to say, the partner regretted ordering this soup. 

Lim Soup (Bukit Merah Central)

Dong Fong Fatt Coffee Shop

Block 161 Bukit Merah Central

Singapore 150161

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 1130am - 8pm

                          Closed on Sun and Public Holidays

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161 板面 Ban Mian (Bukit Merah Central)

Minced Pork You Mian (Dry) $3.20

When we visited Dong Fong Fatt Coffee Shop, we had only one intention which was to try the Double Boiled Old Coconut Chicken at Lim Soup. But when we were at the coffeeshop, the 3 customers at the table besides us ordered 3 bowls of dry handmade noodles. I caught a sniff of the aroma of the handmade noodles as they were tossing the noodles and I commented to my partner that it smelled delicious!

Since the Double Boiled Old Coconut Chicken at Lim Soup was sold out, I decided to check out the handmade noodles stall. I found it hidden behind a pillar, next to Lim Soup, The stall is called 161 板面 Ban Mian. I stood in front of the stall, in a dilemma whether to order this or the soup from Lim Soup.

In the end, I took the leap and chose the handmade noodles. 161 板面 Ban Mian is essentially a handmade noodles stall. I ordered You Mian dry version since this was what I caught my attention (literally my sense of smell). While waiting for my food to be cooked, I understand that the stall has been around for 19 years and that the owner makes the noodles himself ensuring that they are smooth and QQ (i.e. springy).

Minced Pork You Mian (Dry) $3.20

This bowl of Minced Pork You Mian (dry) $3.20 was excellent! It was so good that we regretted not ordering one each!

Minced Pork You Mian (Dry) $3.20

The ingredients in this Minced Pork You Mian (dry) were the same as those used in the soup version. The difference was the sauce at the bottom of the bowl. The sauce was the bomb! SHIOK! It was just right, so fragrant and flavourful with a hint of black vinegar (reminds me of Teochew style Bak Chor Mee suace). Mixing the noodles well with the sauce, each strand of You Mian (noodle) was just so addictive and tasty. We were literally over the last few strands of noodles. Although a generous amount of sauce was given, the sauce was not salty.

Minced Pork You Mian (Dry) $3.20

The bonus was that the egg was not overcooked and the yolk was still oozing out. If you prefer the dish to be creamier, give it a good mix with the runny egg yolk. 

I can't help but emphasis again how delicious this bowl of dry version You Mian is! We were glad that we gave this a try and wished that we ordered 2 bowls instead. This is a must try! What an unexpected find! Wonder if they would one day add fried crispy flat fish (扁鱼).

161 板面 Ban Mian (Bukit Merah Central)

Dong Fong Fatt Coffee Shop

Stall 4, Block 161 Bukit Merah Central

Singapore 150161

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The Bakery Chef (Bukit Merah Central)

Chocolate Rainbow Cake $5.80

The Bakery Chef is a bakery cafe located the the heartlands of Bukit Merah, at Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central which is just a stone throw away from the Bukit Merah Bus Interchange.

Visiting the cafe on a Friday evening, we were pleasantly surprise that there was no need to queue up and wait for a table.

As its name suggests, The Bakery Chef specialises in baking a variety of pastries, pies, cakes, cupcakes and macarons.

Like most other cafes, the furnishing was simple and modern. There was even a cozy corner with rainbow cushion.

Chocolate Rainbow Cake $5.80

The Chocolate Rainbow Cake $5.80 was a cake full of happiness! With its contrast in colours, it was beautifully presented. The rainbow cake consists of six layers of squarish sponge cakes with different colours ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. In between each layer was a thin layer of chocolate cream cheese with chocolate chips. The crunchy chocolate chips provided a contrast to the soft, light and slightly moist sponge cake. The glittering yummy chocolate cream with a good balance of sweetness at the top goes well with the cake.

Strawberry Shortcake $5.60

The Strawberry Shortcake $5.60 did not disappoint too.

Strawberry Shortcake $5.60

It consist of three layers of pillowy soft sponge cake with slices of strawberry and cream in between the layers. It was well balanced in terms of taste and sweetness.

The quality of the two cakes were surprisingly good. Both cakes were well executed; soft and fluffy with great balance in taste. The rainbow cake is one of the best I have had.

If you are a fan of rainbow cakes, The Bakery Chef is the place to visit! 

The Bakery Chef (Bukit Merah Central)

#01-3711

161 Bukit Merah Central

Singapore 150161

Tel: 6273 9211
Opening Hours: Tue to Thu 10am - 7pm 

                          Fri to Mon 10am - 9pm

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